Ai, Adar, Mas Le?
by MistressOfImladris
Summary: Elrond and Elladan have been arguing for the past few days and cannot come to an agreement. An unfortunate accident causes Elladan to leave Imladris, perhaps never to return. Challenges come Elladan's way, prompting him to regret what has transpired between his father and himself, while in Imladris, Elrond has to look back on his own actions, too. Complete!
1. The Argument

**Chapter One**

Elrohir sighed as he walked down the hall towards his chambers. Stopping to lean against the wall, he rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes. His father and brother appeared to be arguing yet again – it made the third time that week. Their words were clearly audible to any in the region of Elrond's study.

'Do not suppose that I do not know the seriousness of the matter at hand, Elladan Peredhil,' the twins' father's angry tenor rang out.

'I suggested no such thing, my lord,' Elladan retorted hotly. 'I merely ask why it is that, if you do indeed see the seriousness of this, you do absolutely nothing about it?'

Elrohir stayed to hear no more. Pushing himself away from the wall, he again continued walking swiftly down the passage, hoping to block out the sound of his father and brother's voices by humming to himself. Once in the safety of his room, the younger twin sank down on the edge of the table by the door. Word had come from Saruman that evil was again rising at Dol Guldor. Elladan was eager to cast it out once and for all, but Elrond was reluctant to give him permission.

'Mayhap something will be done, but first the Council shall have to meet and discuss it,' he insisted whenver the topic was broached. 'Saruman has put forth such a notion, it is necessary that we hear his reasons for believing such a thing before we take any measures to put an end to it.'

'Then why wait?' Elladan would ask. 'Why do you not travel to Isengard and seek answers?'

'Neither your grandparents, Mithrandir, nor I have sensed a presence. Do you forget that Dol Guldor can be reached within two days from Lorien?' Elrond hissed. 'If something were wrong, Galadriel would have felt it. Mark my words, Elladan!'

''Mark your words,'' Elladan scoffed. 'You told us to mark your words when Naneth-'

'Do not speak of your naneth when you are in this mood, Elladan,' Elrond ordered. 'I insist you leave her out of this!'

'I insist we do not!' Elladan openly defied. 'You were wrong about Naneth, how can we be sure you are not wrong about this also?'

'Not one more word, Elladan,' Elrond warned, his eyes glinting dangerously.

'My question deserves to be answered, Adar, it is perfectly reasonable!' Elladan planted his feet on the study floor as Elrond slowly began walking towards him. 'How do you know?'

Elrond ground out his order from between clenched teeth. 'Not...one...more...word, Elladan! Harken to me now, or leave this room!'

Elladan's jaw clenched convulsively as he considered his father's words. He was loathe to give in, but both of them were too angry to continue this discussion and hope for it to bear fruit at the same time. Turning on his heel, he strode from the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

The sparks in his eyes cowed any who happened to be in his path, so he made it to his rooms without being spoken to by any. He stood rigidly in front of his window for a few moments before he turned at the sound of a soft knock. 'What?' he asked rudely.

The handle turned slowly as the door opened to admit Elrohir.

'What do you want?' he snarled.

'Is there any change?' his brother asked softly.

'What should you care?' Elladan asked, turning back to the window. 'You are more than half on Adar's side in this whole matter.'

Elrohir shook his head, coming to stand beside his twin. 'That is not so. I cannot decide where I stand. You are both right in some way: we should investigate this possible threat, but, as Adar has said, we should hear what Saruman has to say about it first.'

'It seems to me that you agree wholeheartedly with Adar, then!' Elladan bit. 'I suppose you also agree that since Daernaneth, Mithrandir, and Adar have felt nothing, Saruman is likely lying and his story is not to be worried about.'

'I said nothing of the sort!' Elrohir protested, trying to keep his temper in rein. 'All I said is that you both have points that deserve careful thought. It would be easier for the two of you – and much more pleasant for me – if we could go about this peaceably, instead of having a fight break out in the middle of the discussion every time.'

Elladan shook his head, letting out a low growl. 'If you are going to have one foot on each side, Elrohir, do not bother your pretty head about it at all. You are no more use than a blundering sheep.'

'If you are implying that my head is woolly, then you would do well to remember that we are identical in looks, though thankfully not in temperament,' Elrohir threw back, hoping the comment would cut.

Elladan tackled his brother to the floor, and the next moment they were rolling over each other, both trying to get the better of his brother. Elrohir finally managed to pin Elladan's arms to his sides while sitting firmly on his chest.

'Ifyou are going to act like this, it would be better for _you_ to stay out of this, not me, muindor,' he said, tightening his grip on Elladan's wrists when the older twin tried to jerk out of his grasp. 'You and Adar get nowhere when you argue like this.'

With a furious cry, Elladan managed to free his arms and tip Elrohir off of him. 'Don't you dare speak to me like that, _pet_!' he snarled, grabbing Elrohir's arms when he tried to stand up, and sticking his knee forcefully into his brother's stomach, effectively bringing him to his knees.

Elrohir doubled over, pain filling his senses as he fought to catch his breath. 'Elladan-'

'And don't 'Elladan' me, either!' the Elf yelled. 'I am sick of it! Adar does it enough, there is no need for you to start as well!'

Elrohir rose to his feet, clutching his abdomen. 'You deserve it! If I am a pet, then what are you? An obnoxious, selfish ox who cannot respect his betters to save his life!'

Again Elladan made a flying leap towards his brother. Elrohir, still catching his breath, could do little do defend himself. Together they crashed to the floor, Elladan landing heavily on top of Elrohir. An ominous _crack!_ filled the air as Elladan's body came down on Elrohir's lower ribs, several of them snapping, unable to hold the sudden weight. A moment later Elrohir's head struck the floor violently. His cry of pain trailed off as he lost consciousness.

Before Elladan could move, the door flew open with a crash. The twin quickly rolled off his brother, mindful of the undoubtedly broken ribs, and turned to see-

His father.

'Elladan?' His father's voice was eerily calm as he made his way further into the room. 'What have you done?'

Elladan's anger came back with a rush. 'He drove me to it,' he insisted hotly. 'He said things he had no right to say, and if he is injured, he has only himself to blame!'

' _What did you do to him_?' Elrond thundered, seeing blood oozing out from a cut on the back of Elrohir's head.

Elladan shook his head. 'He provoked me, my lord, I had nothing to do with it.'

'Of course, and I am a _naugrim_ ,' his father retorted, crouching down beside the motionless Elf.

'That you are,' Elladan muttered under his breath, not caring if his father overheard.

However, Elrond's hearing was as sharp as it had been when he was young. 'What did you say?'

'You know what I said!' Elladan yelled. 'You have coerced Elrohir into taking your side over mine, simply because you know that you could not hold out against the two of us! You are a skulking coward, incompetent in your endeavours to lead this realm, and I am ashamed to be called your son!'

Elrond rose to his feet in one fluent motion, grabbed Elladan and pulled him from the room, shutting the door behind him. He coldly ignored all looks from passing Elves, as well as Elladan's protests. Walking swiftly through the courtyard, dragging Elladan behind him, he pushed him into the stable that housed the Peredhil family's horses and snarled, 'Since you no longer wish to be acknowledged as part of my family, you may leave this valley, never to return. I have no wish to see you again after this shameful act against your brother! Get your horse and begone!'

Elladan, not expecting such a reaction from his usually so collected father, blanched. 'Banished?' he breathed.

'Indeed!' Elrond snapped. 'I am glad you are able to understand that much, at least!'

Elladan swallowed, trying desperately not to let his shock show in his eyes. 'I...' _Just say you are sorry, you fool!_ he told himself fiercely. _You have no other place to go!_ 'Very well!' he finally said, hoping he sounded emotionless and aloof. 'I do not care.'

Elrond did not wait to see him leave. He turned and made his way back to Elladan's room to see to Elrohir.

The younger Peredhil was coming slowly to consciousness by this time, and he moaned softly as he became aware of the pain in his chest.

'Elrohir, be still,' Elrond ordered as he came through the doorway. 'You are badly injured.'

'Elladan!' Elrohir exclaimed weakly.

'Elladan is not here,' his father said shortly. 'Your ribs are injured, and you have a cut on your head.'

Elrohir grimaced, the pain coursing through his body as good a testimony to that fact as his father's words. 'What happened?'

'Do you not remember?' Elrond asked, looking down in concern.

Elrohir closed his eyes, breathing deeply to keep the pain under control. 'We fought... I fell and hit my head.'

Elrond nodded, running his hands lightly over the obviously-damaged ribs. 'You have only one broken rib, three more are fractured,' he announced after a few minutes, then glanced up. 'The broken one is in place, so the only thing that would really effect it is a drug to reduce the pain.'

Elrohir shook his head. 'I will be fine. Where is Elladan?'

His father frowned. 'He is not here. I will tell you everything later, but now you must rest.' He slid his arms underneath Elrohir's knees and shoulders and carried him to Elladan's bed. 'Your brother will not mind if you use this for a while. I do not want to see you up until I say you may. Understood?'

Elrohir nodded, again grimacing as his throbbing headache announced its presence. 'What happened to my head?'

Elrond pulled Elrohir's hair out the way, revealing a small bump with a cut that was sluggishly oozing blood. 'You must have hit it rather badly when you fell. Though you were unconscious, your pupils are not dilated, and you seem to remember what happened well enough. Is there any dizziness or nausea?'

Elrohir shook his head, wincing as the headache increased at the movement. 'Just a headache.' He glanced uncomfortably at Elrond. 'Where is Elladan, Adar? I was unkind to him, and I wish to apologize.'

Elrond turned away and closed his eyes. He turned back when Elrohir repeated his question.

'He is not here,' he finally said, inwardly preparing himself for the verbal attack which was undoubtedly about to fall on him

'Where is he, then?' Elrohir asked, eyes narrowing suspiciously. 'Is he all right?'

Elrond shook his head. 'I do not know. I banished him.'

 **A/N:** Yay, chapter one is finished! I find it difficult to decide which I like less in this chapter, Elrond or Elladan. They're both pretty rotten. About the broken ribs: I did do my research and found a little information. I don't know if this will interest anyone, but just in case:

Ribs are difficult to break, but very painful when injured. In the past, doctors bound them tightly to help support them as they healed, but recently it was discovered that such an action can impede breathing and cause chest infections, such as pneumonia. Now doctors simply advise the patient to take it easy, give them pain medication, and let them go. In the case of a break or more severe fracture, doctors will give the patient breathing exercises to ensure that deep breaths are taken, not shallow ones, as the latter can also cause pneumonia.


	2. Reactions

**Reactions**

Elrohir would have sat up in bed if Elrond had not placed his hands firmly on his son's shoulders. Ignoring the increasing stabbing pain as his head and ribs protested against the movement, Elrohir asked incredulously, 'You _what_?'

'I banished him,' Elrond replied quietly.

Elrohir stared at him, at a loss for words momentarily. 'Why? Surely not because he has injured me!' When Elrond did not answer immediately, he shrugged his father's hands off him and raised his voice. 'You banished him because he broke my ribs and gave me a cut!'

'Elrohir-'

'What?'

Elrond sighed. 'I may have acted too quickly, but if he wants to return, then he may. He was as glad to leave as I was to see him go.' Replaying his words in his head, Elrond realised how unfeeling they sounded. 'I am sorry, Elrohir. We were both angry and worried-'

'That is hardly an excuse for banishing him!' Elrohir shouted. 'And do you really think that he will return if you have told him he is banished? He will think that not even his family wants him! Did you not _think_ of that?'

Elrond closed his eyes. This was not going how he had hoped. He had wanted Elrohir to wait with asking about his brother until he was more recovered, no matter how slim the chance was that he would actually wait that long. If he did not calm down now, his son was in danger of further injuring his ribs - perhaps breaking one of the fractures, or causing the pieces of the broken one to shift away from each other.

'Elrohir, I beg of you to calm down,' he said as calmly as he could. 'I will send someone out after your brother, but you must stop this. Do you want to make your injuries more serious?'

Elrohir growled something unintelligibly, but lay down again, refusing to look at Elrond.

Finally, his father rose to go to the door to find Glorfindel, but stopped when he heard Elrohir's voice.

'No.'

'No what?' he asked in confusion.

'Do not ask anyone to go,' Elrohir clarified. 'It has to be one of us.'

Elrond sighed. Elrohir was impossible when he was in a mood like this. 'Elrohir, there is no way you are going after Elladan in your condition.'

'I never said I had to,' Elrohir retorted sharply from the bed. 'I said 'one of us,' not 'me' or 'both of us."

His father returned to the bed. 'Tell me why it is so important that you or I go, not someone else. I could send Glorfindel. Would that not work?'

'No,' Elrohir insisted again. 'He will only come back if one of us tells him he can. After all, it is because of the two of us that he was banished. Do you not understand?'

Elrond let out a breath. 'I do see what you mean,' he assured. 'But you are unable to make the journey, and I have work to attend to.'

'What kind of work? Is it more important than Elladan?'

Elrond was beginning to lose his temper. 'No, of course not! But there are many others here who would be able to find Elladan. One of them will go willingly.'

'I will go, then.' Elrohir's voice was taut with anger and worry, with a hint of desperation seeping in.

His father opened his mouth to reply, then regarded his son quizzically. Elrohir looked distressed, and he had reason to look so. But there was something more, something he could not quite put his finger on. Perhaps Elrohir knew more than he was letting on. 'Why do you want one of us to go, Elrohir?' he asked in a reasonable tone. 'If you will tell me your reasons, I will consider them fairly.'

Elrohir raised an eyebrow, but spoke all the same. 'I cannot explain it. Whether we will need to use our bonds with El to find him, or there is some other reason, I know that just anyone else will not be able to find him.'

Elrond sat silently for a moment, thinking. He bit his lip in concentration, then sighed, looking up at the younger Elf. 'Elrohir, I am afraid that Elladan is not allowing me to sense him through our bond. I will go after him, but it may take longer than either of us would like.'

Elrohir swore colourfully, causing Elrond to glance at him, surprised. 'Adar, this is important. I can stand the pain until we return with Elladan.'

Elrond stood firm. 'No,' he answered bluntly. 'If you injure your ribs, you could cause serious damage. I have had flail chest three too many times in my long life, and I should not like for you to experience such a thing.'

For a moment, the only sound was Elrohir's slightly strained breathing. 'Then go,' he said, more accepting the fact that he could not make the journey himself than ordering his father to do something. 'And please bring him back.'

Elrond nodded. 'I will leave as soon as I can. I will not bring any warriors with me. The loss of Vilya, even for a short time, leaves Imladris vulnerable to attacks. I would feel better if I left as many men here as I could.'

'And if you get attacked yourself?' Elrohir asked, liking the sound of this less and less. 'Adar, it will be even worse for us if you get killed. Imladris will survive, surely you will not be more than a day or two at the most.

His father shook his head. 'I cannot say how long it will take me to find your brother, Elrohir. If he is hidden from us, it will be difficult to find any trace of him. There is a reason Glorfindel sends you two out on scouting trips, you know.'

Elrohir did not answer immediately, but turned to look out the window towards the forest looming in the distance. 'Very well, Adar,' he finally said. 'I will look for you return.'

* * *

Elrond, true to his word, set out alone an hour later. Glorfindel had offered him the use of Asfaloth, the fastest horse in the stables. By asking the guards, he had found out which direction Elladan had set off in, and at first the deep hoof-prints were easy to track in the grass and the dirt paths.

It became more difficult as he got nearer the forest, since leaves coated the ground underneath the trees. Once under the shelter of the forest, Elrond lost the tracks completely. Again he searched for the bond with his missing son.

 _Elladan?_

No answer.

Elrond sighed in irritation, but tried again. _Elladan, I am sorry for losing my temper. Will you not return?_

Not even a flutter of recognition came from their link. Bidding Asfaloth remain, Elrond dismounted and jumped nimbly into one of the trees. Climbing most of the way up, Elrond looked down on the forest floor, searching for any sign of Elladan.

He was about to leap down to the ground again when he caught sight of three vultures circling above the roof of leaves. There was a sudden disturbance as all three of them swooped down through the leaves towards the ground.

Curious and hoping for a hint to Elladan's whereabouts, Elrond leapt onto Asfaloth's back and spurred the stallion into a gallop. The cries of the three birds became louder as they drew nearer to the creature they were feeding on. Once the horse and rider broke into the small glade where the birds perched on their meal, Elrond pulled Asfaloth to a sudden stop.

A light grey horse lay motionless on the ground, its eyes rolled up in the sockets.

Elrond's voice rang in his ears as he called to the horse. 'Tinnuroch?'

The vultures jerked their heads up to glrae at the creature who disturbed them while at their meal.

'Elladan!' Elrond shouted.

Again he dismounted and made his way to the dead horse. Tinnuroch had not been dead for very long, since no other animals had been drawn to his body. The flesh of the steed's back was torn and mangled, and the ground was dark with blood where the horse's neck lay gouged open, the dark hole in it gaping.

Yet Elrond's eyes were not drawn to the body of the hrose, but to the surrounding bodies of the great grey wolves around it. There were four of them, lying merely feet apart. One had two arrows in its chest, but the other three had been cut down by a sword.

The lord of Imladris felt fear form in his heart, the feeling slowly growing as a sense of dread fell upon him. Running across the glade, he swiftly pulled the arrows out of the largest wolf and closed his eyes upon recognising Elladan's signature fletching: yellow feathers, spotted with black, in between black ones.

Again he called his son's name, but the only sound came from far off in the distance: the lone sound of a single wolf.

 **A/N:** Because you all loved my paragraph-long lecture on ribs last chapter, I've decided to give you another on flail chest.

Flail chest happens when you break multiple ribs in two or more places on each broken rib. The breaks can cause your ribs to move up and down at different times when you breathe: one part of a rib rises when you inhale, the other part rises when you exhale. Such a condition can be life-threatening if it goes untreated, as the broken parts can shift away from each other and puncture a lung, tear muscles, injure livers etc.


	3. Cornered

**Cornered**

Elladan stormed into the stables, sparks seeming to flash from his eyes. Ignoring the Elves working around him, he prepared his stallion for the journey and galloped out of the building, causing stable-hands to jump aside to avoid being run down.

The Elf refused to slow from a gallop until his steed – Tinnuroch – was frothing and sweating. Slowing to a stop by a quick-flowing stream, Elladan and Tinnuroch quenched their thirst in the clean mountain water.

Elladan seemed to be loathe to remain, so as soon as Tinnuroch was rested enough, he leapt back on the horse's back and set off again. Elladan had been sitting idly while his horse rested, and he now found that he reflected with some shame on his past words and actions. With these thoughts came the reminder that he had been banished forever from his home, and that he had no desire to find refuge in the surrounding Elven realms.

'Tinnuroch!'

At Elladan's call, the stallion came ambling over and nudged his master's shoulder playfully. Elladan smiled slightly and scratched him behind the ears.

'We will go slowly from here onward,' he murmured quietly into the velvety ears. 'I am sorry I pushed you so hard, my friend.'

Tinnuroch nickered in response and ducked his head down to pull at an inviting patch of grass.

The sun went down, slowly turning the sky from its shade of blue to pink, red, then dark. At dusk, the tired horse and rider made camp, a few miles from the borders of Imladris. Elladan lay down but found that sleep evaded him. Whenever he let down his guard, he remembered his argument with Elrond, so he contented himself with sitting by the fire and keeping a sharp watch on the surrounding woods: he was aware that while the southern patrol should arrive at this area in the next day or so, he had no other protection than his weapons and his horse.

Elladan have fallen asleep sometime, for he woke up sudden from where he lay by the fire to find Tinnuroch standing protectively over him, blowing through his nostrils, as though warning of impending danger.

It took Elladan no time to grab his sword from by his arm, as well as his quiver and bow from beside the sword. All the while, his dark eyes darted around, looking for the enemy that he so clearly felt.

He could hear it plainly, and he knew what it was. Every now and then he would hear a telltale sound: a twig cracking underfoot, heavy breathing, and sometimes a low growl. And finally, he found himself staring deeply into the red eyes of a huge, rabid wolf.

Letting his sword rest in the sheath, he drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked an arrow to the string. While keeping his eyes fastened on the wolf standing twenty-five feet in front of him, he took careful aim, and fired.

The wolf had been waiting for such a move, and was ready. He jumped to one side, but the arrow found its way into his chest, some way away from his heart. He staggered forward, pain and rage filling his eyes, before half-trotting, half-running forward towards Elladan.

Swiftly Elladan drew another arrow and again fired it, taking care to aim for the heart.

The wolf, distracted by the pain, and intent on killing the Elf, did not notice the arrow flying towards him until it was too late. With a soft _thud_ , the arrow embedded itself in the wolf's heart, instantly killing it.

Only then did the other wolves show themselves. More than a dozen leapt from the shelter of the trees. As one, they rushed forward towards Elladan, their mad hunger for bloodshed driving them on. Saliva dripped from their fangs, and they were so thin that their many ribs showed plainly against the skin.

Elladan sent a quick prayer to Eru, knowing that the odds were against him. Beside him, Tinnuroch moved protectively towards his master, neighing gently.

The wolves reached them. The first one leapt towards the Elf and his horse, but Elladan stepped neatly aside, causing the wolf to fall heavily into the smouldering ashes, effectively bringing them to life again.

Tinnuroch was not a warhorse for nothing. Kicking back with his heels, he landed a lethal blow to the burning wolf's head, thus ending its miserable life.

Elladan, upon seeing all the wolves from between the trees, had dropped his bow, knowing that it would be useless in the battle. Drawing his sword, he waited for the onslaught.

While Tinnuroch was putting an end to the first wolf, Elladan quickly killed two more by driving his sword deep into one chest, then pulling it out and decapitating the dog-like creature about to spring at Tinnuroch.

Nonetheless, they were quickly being surrounded. Elladan was forced to train all his concentration on defending himself from the wolves who were pressing towards him. As a result, he was too late to see the fourth wolf springing at the horse from the other direction.

A shattering scream rent the air as the wolf's deadly paws came in contact with Tinnuroch's neck, ripping it wide open. As the horse came crashing to the ground, the wolf leapt over the trembling corpse, straight at Elladan.

At that moment, the almost-unbearable stench of burning fur came to Elladan's nose, and he remembered the wolf who had been unfortunate enough to get in the way of Tinnuroch's hind hooves. Desperate for a way to escape from the wolf which had brought down his horse, Elladan reached behind him and blindly grabbed at a burning torch.

He held the torch in front of him, using it as a weapon while keeping the others at bay with his sword. The wolf was unable to stop himself, the momentum of his spring driving him onward, right onto the burning end of the torch.

Immediately the dry fur caught fire and the wolf sprang back, howling. It threw itself to the ground and rolled frantically, fighting to smother the flames. Mad with pain and wanting no more than to escape from further injury, the cowardly wolf got to his feet after the flames had been put out and ran off into the woods, tail between his legs.

Still, there were more wolves than enough for Elladan to reckon with. Now that he he had three of his four sides open, –the horse and the fire had been his main protection – Elladan came up with a plan of escape.

Even as he thought out the plan, Elladan fell to the ground, narrowly escaping the claws of the wolf closest to him, and grabbed his bow from where it lay by the fire.

Taking the wolves by surprise, he ran around the fire and leapt into the nearest tree, managing to evade their snapping teeth and grabbing paws. He rested momentarily, almost hidden from view by the lush green leaves. Thinking quickly, he decided it would be better if he sought to escape from the site, though it galled him to think of leaving his dead horse there to be eaten by wolves.

He was brought back to the present by a long, drawn-out howl. Looking down through the leaves, he saw the smaller wolves flock around the first, for the moment ignoring Tinnuroch and Elladan. The next moment, the wolves ran off into the forest, their cries dwindling to nothing as they got farther and farther away.

For a few moments, Elladan sat in the tree, staring after the wolves. He could not understand why they had left without first attacking the body of the horse. Slowly he began to descend from the tree, trying to sense the smallest hint of danger.

When he heard, saw and smelt nothing, he made his way carefully towards the fire. Working quickly, he used his hunting knives to cut pieces of turf away from the forest floor and smothered the fire with them. The wolf had long since been reduced to blackened bones, since there had been little skin and no fat on the skeleton at the time of death.

Once the fire had been taken care of, Elladan turned to Tinnuroch. Softly, he touched the horse between the ears, scratching him gently, even as tears filled his eyes.

'Farewell, my good and faithful friend,' he whispered. 'I am sorry for letting you down.'

For fear of letting his emotions overcome him, Elladan placed a quick kiss on the cold nose and made off into the woods, determined not to look back. It was nearing dawn, he could tell. The sun was beginning to tint the sky pink in the east, and Earendil had almost finished making his journey through the heavens.

He walked swiftly, stopping only when he found patches of berries, for he had forgotten to pack food when he returned stubbornly to the house for his weapons and cloak. Every now and then, he found nuts on the ground, as well as edible herbs he recognised from studying with his father.

Elladan scowled angrily as he thought of his father. He deeply regretted losing his temper with his father and brother, but it was too late now. He had long since closed his bond with Elrond, but the annoying voice in the back of his mind kept telling him to unblock it.

Even with his mind on other things, he was on the lookout for danger. As the sun rose, birds came out, filling the air with the cheerful singing. Rabbits scurried here and there, ignoring the Elf. Once when he was crossing a stream, he saw a doe and her fawn a ways downstream, drinking the cold, clear water.

Even with all the animals, he began to feel lonely. The loss of his horse hit him hard, for Tinnuroch had been a gift from Elrohir for their last begetting day. Elrohir had been present at Tinnuroch's birth, and had taken the job of training the young stallion upon himself.

Elladan sighed to himself. All his thoughts seemed to bring him back to one thing: his family. He kept trying to convince himself that it was their fault that he was here, and that Tinnuroch was dead. Nonetheless, deep inside, he knew that he was to blame for the events of the past few days, and that if he had not been so proud and refused to apologise to his father at the stables, he would still be in Imladris, perhaps sitting by Elrohir.

He was now in a small dell-like area, perhaps an old creek-bed overgrown with foliage. Steep banks rose behind and in front of him. Along most of the dell there were no trees, just long, soft grass; on the far side, tree branches swept down to brush the ground with their green fingers.

For a moment, the young Elven lord stood, lost in the quiet beauty of the place he found himself in. It was the middle of the forest, but the sun – now quite high in the sky – cast her slanting rays down through the branches of the trees, causing mellow lights to dance off the dew-covered flowers and grass stems.

How Elladan wished that the moment could have continued forever! However, a slight rustling in the trees opposite him caught his attention and immediately he was on his guard.

It was well that he was, for a moment later, out of the bracken, came ten large wolves.

 **A/N:** I know, it is another cliffie, but at least it is something, right? Sorry it took me so long to get this out! I am not very happy with this chapter, so please tell me what you think!


	4. Shattered Hope

**Shattered Hope**

Elladan backed up, hoping to place his back against the trunk of one of the few trees standing behind him before the rabid wolves sprang. He held his sword in defensive stance and his dark eyes flew from one wolf to the next.

To his relief, he soon felt the rough solidness of the tree pressing into his back, and he turned his attention fully to the battle about to come. They stood, the Elf and the wolves, all eleven of them motionless, as though waiting for the other to make the first move.

'Are you so afraid you will not come and kill me?' Elladan finally taunted.

The leader growled menacingly.

'You are too much of a coward to attack me?' the Elf continued. It felt wrong, he reflected, to be facing an enemy without his twin guarding his back.

This time the wolf took a step forward.

'Just come and get me!' Elladan yelled, goading the wolves into leaping towards him.

The first one was neatly impaled on the Elvish blade. It fell with a gurgle and lay shuddering on the ground before breathing it's last.

The leader, who had stopped in a sudden fit of cowardice, sprang forward suddenly. Two others swiftly followed his lead, and Elladan was hard-pressed to manage to escape severe injury as he fought off all of them at once.

Once he had managed to fight off all three, he glanced down at the ground, grateful for the three carcasses littering the ground in front of him. They gave him a little more protection, seeing as the wolves would have to skirt them to get to the Elf.

Three? Elladan glanced down at the ground again in confusion. Three had just leapt at him, and yet only two of them lay dead at his feet. Beside them lay the one that had first jumped at him. He realised that the largest of the pack, the leader, had disappeared.

The five other wolves had paced several strides closer to him, sensing his lack of attention. With a jerk, Elladan realised that he had foolishly let down his guard and again raised his sword, ready to defend himself.

 _Where is the leader?_ he asked himself worriedly, not daring to take his eyes off the current threat. _Surely he would not have run off._

At that moment, the wolves decided to strike. All five of them leapt towards him simultaneously and Elladan found himself almost completely surrounded by the grey creatures.

 _Elbereth, help me!_ he prayed desperately. _Will someone not come and help me?_ The plea to the Vala seemed to renew his courage and he swiftly unsheathed one of his hunting daggers. _Not much use in a fight like this, but at least it is something._

It was not long before one of the wolves paced too near and Elladan let fly his dagger. It flew true and the wolf fell the next moment with the sharp knife protruding from between its eyes. The remaining four were enraged that this intruder had killed several of their companions and yet remained virtually uninjured. With furious snarls, they ran in for the kill.

Elladan sank his sword deep into the chest of the closest beast, and planted a well-aimed kick on the snout of one creeping up on his left. He heard a satisfying crunching noise and gave a grim smile of satisfaction.

 _Two left to go_ , he told himself encouragingly. Even as he did so, he felt a sharp pain run up and down his right leg and glanced down with a small cry. One of the wolves had sunk his dripping fangs deep into his leg and was now tugging, attempting to drag the Elf off his feet.

'Get away, you slime!' Elladan cried, wincing as the wolf dug deeper into his upper leg. He unsheathed his remaining knife and forced it into the wolf's head, pushing it in up to its hilt. The wolf removed his teeth from Elladan's now-bleeding leg and leapt back a pace before crashing to the ground, its eyes rolling gruesomely as it slowly breathed its last.

Meanwhile, the remaining wolf had not been idle. While Elladan was fighting the other creature, it had slowly slunk around to Elladan's other side, hoping to catch him at unawares and end the fight suddenly.

It was not to be. Elladan turned once he saw the wolf he had just stabbed was dead and bent his fiery gaze on the last remaining enemy. With a half-snarl, half-howl, the wolf crouched down into a position to spring. Elladan moved a step nearer, but the wolf did not move.

Seconds passed, but to the two enemies, it seemed like moments. Finally the wolf made a flying leap towards the dark-haired Elf, it's jaws gaping wide and aiming for Elladan's throat.

Elladan crouched down, raising his sword as he did so. The wolf flew right over his head, but the sword ripped through its belly, blood and innards gushing out onto Elladan as he knelt on the ground. With a disgusted cry, Elladan rolled to the side to avoid the body of the great grey animal as it fell heavily to the ground. Swiftly rising to his feet, ready for another attack, he counted the wolf carcasses.

 _Seven... eight... nine..._

 _Where was the tenth?_

Elladan looked around cautiously, but saw nothing. He began to believe that the leader had indeed disappeared into the woods when something crashed into his back, knocking him to the ground. His sword flew from his grip and landed on the now-bloody turf some ways away. He could see the shadow of the huge wolf standing over him, fore-paws placed firmly on his back.

Though he writhed under the wolf's weight, Elladan could barely move. To his confusion, the wolf had not attempted to maul him, even though he had been struggling to escape from the heavy paws. He lay still for a moment, contemplating the strangeness of this fact. _Perhaps it is like a cat: it likes to play with its prey before putting an end to it_ , he finally suggested to himself. _In which case, there may be some hope._

If there was some hope, it was quickly snuffed out. Elladan renewed his efforts to escape from the wolf, and quick as lighting the wolf had raised one paw and brought it down harshly, raking it down the length of Elladan's back.

Biting back a scream of pain, Elladan arched his back, waiting for the next stroke. The pain flared over the surface of his back, and he could feel the wolf's breath as it stood over him, waiting for him to make another move.

 _Someone come,_ he cried silently. After a moment, he continued, his anger against his family forgotten. _Elrohir, Adar, please come help me!_

Perhaps the young Elf was slightly crazed by the pain, for he again attempted to twist away from the huge creature. This time teeth sank into his left shoulder, forcing their way deep into his flesh as they sought to snap the bone.

'Ai, Elbereth Gilthoniel!' Elladan moaned into the grass as he trembled from pain but afraid to move.

The wolf removed its fangs from Elladan's shoulder, but instead of leaving Elladan alone again, he deftly flipped him over with one of his paws, so that he was lying on his mauled back and shoulder.

Elladan, though he knew it would have consequences, slowly raised his arms to his neck, hoping to protect it. This action was met with a low, threatening growl before a paw was again dragged heavily across his chest. Fresh blood seeped through Elladan's ripped tunic as the wolf again imparted further tracks, this time down the side of Elladan's face.

By this time, the Elf's whole body felt like one massive flame, so great was the pain. With strength taken from pure desperation, he twisted to lie on his uninjured shoulder, causing the wolf's paws to slip off his body and placing himself between the two paws instead of under them. Even as he moved, he expected to feel another vicious blow, but it did not come.

Moving his hands to protect his throat more, he carefully glanced up at the wolf. It seemed to be ignoring him. The red, wild eyes were trained on the forest surrounding them, and he was again crouched for a spring.

Elladan strained his senses, trying to pick up the disturbance the wolf had obviously found, but the blood pounding in his ears made it impossible for him to discover anything else. He instead decided to attempt to catch his breath before the wolf became aware of him again.

However, only seconds passed before the wolf turned to him again. Leaping to one side, he grabbed the Elf's left leg between his jaws and pulled him over the uneven ground towards a small shadowed area at the edge of the dip.

As a last warning, the wolf smacked his paw against the side of Elladan's head, causing the young lord to momentarily see stars. When his vision cleared again, the wolf was bounding off into the distance, letting out bloodcurdling howls periodically.

Painfully, Elladan dragged himself up the steep bank and tried to see what it was that the wolf was fleeing from. Hope sprang to life in his heart when he saw grey shadows moving swiftly between the trees several hundred metres away from him: it was one of the patrols! He fought to gather enough breath to alert them to his presence, but he found that between his loss of blood and the strength that had been needed to pull himself up to his current position, he was unable to do more than whisper.

Tears filled his eyes as the last Elf disappeared from his sight. In his condition, he might not last till they returned from tracking the wolf, for he was unable to do anything about the swiftly flowing blood. On top of that, the wolves had obviously been rabid, and there was a great chance of severe infections setting in any time.

Meanwhile, the sun had disappeared behind dense rain clouds and Elladan inwardly cursed his luck. Thunder growled in the distance, and small drops began to fall, gently at first, then harder and harder.

Slowly he raised himself to rest on his right leg, intending to crawl back down the embankment, but the movement was too much for his dangerously-weakened body. Pain exploded in his head, bright lights flickered for an instant before his eyes, and a soundless cry left his lips. He felt himself rolling down the bank and struck his head against the root of a tree. A moment later, everything went black.

 **TBC...**


	5. Found

**Found**

Elrond did not remain long in the glade with Tinnuroch; the knowledge that his son was out there somewhere, perhaps injured, drove him on with renewed vigour. He was puzzled by the story the ground gave him: there had been a fight, Tinnuroch had been killed, and the wolves had run.

Nonetheless, there were no tracks from Elladan to be seen except one: a nearly-unnoticeable footprint in the soft earth, facing the west. Beyond that, Elrond could find no clue of his son's direction, so he hesitantly set off, sharp eyes on the lookout for any other sign.

Asfaloth, knowing that Elrond would be distracted, kept his ears pricked forward to catch the slightest hint of danger. Dark eyes flickered from side to side on the path, the message whispered by Glorfindel into his ears running through his head. _Keep him safe, Asfaloth. Do not let either of them come to harm._

Elrond had been travelling all night, and it was beginning to rain. Tired and swiftly getting wetter from the dripping trees, he decided it would be best if he found some shelter and stopped for a rest. By and by, he found a large fir tree whose many leaves provided a good shelter from the steadily falling rain. He managed to find some wood dry enough to start a fire, and before long shadows were dancing on the surrounding tree trunks as a merry fire blazed away.

There was little need for either the Elf or the horse to keep watch, for Vilya kept any enemies at bay. So it was that Asfaloth and Elrond fell asleep and lay undisturbed until the sun was high in the sky.

It was as though something were jerking at Elrond's heart that finally caused him to come back to awareness. Swiftly rising to his feet, he felt for his bond with Elladan. Sure enough, a tiny thread lay where the usually-healthy presence of his son was. A smile slowly lit up Elrond's face as he reached out to Elladan.

 _Elladan, where are you?_

 _...Adar?_

 _Are you injured, Elladan?_

When no reply came, the smile faded and he whistled to Afaloth, instantly waking the horse. 'Come, mellon-nin,' he crooned to the horse. 'We must find Elladan before the sun goes down. I fear that he is in need of us.'

The great horse nickered as Elrond quickly doused the fire and grabbed the small pack from on the ground. The moment Elrond was sitting securely on his back, Asfaloth set off at a quick pace, sensing Elrond's fear.

The Elf lord found himself unable to forget the lonely sound of the wolf's howl when he found Tinnuroch. Since then, he had come across no other camp, so he knew that Elladan was probably less than a day's march from where he was. And since the younger Elf no longer had a horse, Elrond would probably find him even sooner than if Tinnuroch had survived.

* * *

How long he lay unconscious, Elladan could not say. When he finally came to again, he found that rain had soaked him through, and that his whole body ached and throbbed almost unbearably. He felt a smothering sense of death, sure that neither his father nor his brother cared about him anymore, and that no one would come to look for him. He would die here, mauled by wolves and unable to protect himself should the creatures return.

He had long since stopped trying to tell himself that he was still angry at Elrond and Elrohir, but he still struggled to accept that he had been banished and that he would probably never see them again. An idea struck him suddenly, that perhaps if he had been able to overcome his anger, then perhaps Elrond had, too. And if Elrond was no longer angry at him, then maybe... Maybe he would come look for him?

Despite the pain coursing through him, Elladan felt excitement grow in him at this thought. He tried to find the strength to move himself out of the rain to under one of the trees. He found that he could do no more than lift his head, for whenever he tried to move, his back sent tingles of pain shooting up and down the length of him.

Letting his head fall back to earth again as pain overwhelmed him, threatening to render him unconscious again, he felt for his bond with his father and, trying to muster strength that he no longer had, re-opened his bond. The act drained any consciousness he had, and again his vision began to dim.

Even as awareness began to leave him, he heard a voice coming to him as though it were from a long distance.

 _Elladan, where are you?_

He struggled to form the one word be could remember. _...Adar?_

Blackness covered his eyes, and he accepted it willingly, hoping that the dark would help relieve his continuous agony.

* * *

Elrond and Asfaloth thundered through the woods, no longer looking to the ground for a lead. Elrond could tell that Elladan was unconscious from the tiny link that still connected the two, and from Elladan's lack of response.

As they drew nearer, he could slowly feel the bond becoming stronger, though he knew that this was because of their close proximity, not because Elladan was recovering from whatever injuries he had sustained.

Suddenly Asfaloth skidded to a stop at the lip of a small dell. It ran through a glade-like area, Elrond saw, with few trees at the end where they now stood. Elrond's blood froze at the sight lying in the grass at the bottom of the dell. Wolf carcasses littered the ground below him, nine of them. Red blood stained the grass, contrasting sharply against the green of the grass and the grey of the wolves. What caught his attention was the still figure lying prone at the other end of the dell.

'Elladan!'

Elrond kicked Asfaloth into a gallop, flying down the steep bank and leaping over the carcasses in their path. They came to a sudden stop beside the dark-haired Elf lying on the ground.

Elrond slid gracelessly off Asfaloth's back and fell to his knees by Elladan's side, pulling him up into a tight embrace before remembering himself. Hearing Elladan's stifled moan, he quickly pulled away and carefully laid his son down on the ground again. Inwardly, he berated himself for his thoughtless move. Most of the time, he was able to restrain himself, but seeing Elladan lying, helpless and alone, in the cold drizzling rain was too much for his father's heart.

'Elladan?' he called. 'Elladan, can you open your eyes?'

The rain was still falling lightly, more a mist than a shower. Still, Elladan was completely wet and his lips were tinged blue. His face was grey from blood loss and his forehead was creased with pain, even in his unconscious state.

Elrond closed his eyes as he put two fingers against Elladan's neck, praying he would find a steady pulse there. When he found it, he was relieved to feel that though it was very weak, it was as steady as could be expected.

The lord of Imladris then turned to the injuries. He ghosted his hand carefully over Elladan's back, drawing back sharply when Elladan winced and parted his lips in a slight grimace. Blood oozed sluggishly from both the bite in his shoulder and from the scratches on his son's back.

A shower of drops from the tree above as a breeze stirred the branches caused Elrond to remember the rain. Elladan's skin was icy cold to the touch, and his shredded tunic and cloak offered no protection from the weather.

Thinking quickly, Elrond pulled a cloak from the pack on the side of Asfaloth's saddle and laid it on the ground under the shelter of the branches. Carefully he slid his arms under Elladan's shoulders and knees and moved him to lie on the cloak, lying him on his most uninjured side at the same time.

Asfaloth moved to stand protectively between the falling rain and Elladan, acting as a wind-block.

Elrond carefully used his hunting knife to cut away the rest of Elladan's tunic. He now noticed that his son's chest also had five deep scratches across it, stretching from right shoulder to mid-ribs. A bruise coloured his temple, and more scratches made their way down his cheek.

'What happened, Elladan?' he murmured more to himself than to Elladan.

Once the destroyed tunic had been removed from Elladan, Elrond glanced around the bases of the nearby trees. Upon seeing what he searched for, he crawled forward and carefully broke off a sprig of the delicate herb.

Crushing a few leaves between his fingers, he smiled when Elladan's breathing became stronger and less strained. The fresh, clean smell spread slowly through the area, its aroma complementing the smell of the falling rain.

Finding a small bowl in one of the saddlebags, he set it under a constant drizzle of rain coming from one of the branches. Once the bowl was full, he carried it carefully over towards Elladan and started to gently clean out the scratches one at a time.

Elladan lay completely still and unresponsive except for the odd time when he winced and tried weakly to pull away from the pain.

Elrond looked down at Elladan's shivering form and frowned. He only had one spare cloak, and the one he was wearing was soaking wet. He glanced up at Glorfindel's horse and whistled quietly.

'Come here, my friend,' he said when Asfaloth turned to him. Motioning to Elladan, he commanded, 'Lie down and try to keep him warm, please.'

Asfaloth whinnied and moved to obey Elrond, blowing warm air onto Elladan's face as he did so.

To Elrond's surprise, Elladan's lips moved and his voice cracked as he muttered, 'Tinnu?'

Asfaloth blew on him again, stirring Elladan's hair, but Elladan only turned his face away slightly. 'Stop it, Tinnuroch,' he whispered. 'Get help.'

Elrond immediately stopped cleaning the scratches on Elladan's chest and placed his hands on either side of his son's face. 'Elladan, can you hear me?'

'Wolves...' Elladan rasped, then his breathing hitched. 'Need help.'

Elrond shook his head impatiently. Elladan did not realise he was there. Moreover, it seemed that Elladan did not expect him to have come to bring him back.

 _But then, why would he?_ he asked himself. _You were the one who banished him._

'I have come to take you home,' he said aloud, hoping his son could hear him.

'No,' whispered Elladan, his brow creasing slightly. 'No home.'

Elrond's eyes filled with tears. 'Elladan, do you know who I am?'

Elladan's voice grew desperate. 'Need help. Wolves...'

Elrond shook his head, trying to ignore the anger at himself that threatened to cloud his judgment. For fear of letting his emotions get the better of him, he said nothing, knowing that Elladan did not even realise it was his father speaking to him. He continued cleaning the many wounds, hardly able to see through his blinding tears.

 **A/N:** Good? Bad? Please review!


	6. Healing

**Healing**

It seemed that every time Elrond though that he was through with cleaning the tears in Elladan back and chest, he found more. Most of them were infected, though Elrond believed the infections were caused more by the dirt in the wounds than from the wolves.

Elrond was at a loss to explain how Elladan had escaped from more severe complications, like rabies or other infections passed on by the wolves. Nonetheless, he did not question fate and continued his work, silently thanking the Valar for their mercies.

Elladan remained mostly motionless through it all. At times his lips would move in silent words, but he spoke aloud no more. He showed no recognition of Elrond or Asfaloth, though he still seemed to think the horse was Tinnuroch.

Finally the wounds were packed with more athelas and bound tightly with bandages. Elladan's skin was colder than Elrond liked, though Asfaloth had helped warm him up. Exhausted from searching for infections and from his worry-filled journey, Elrond curled up on Elladan's other side and fell asleep, one hand resting on Elladan's chest to monitor his heartbeat.

The next morning, Elrond woke to the feeling of Asfaloth's nose nudging his forehead. Starting awake, he glanced over at Elladan, who seemed to be waking. Underneath his eyelids, Elrond could see the eyeballs roving back and forth, and Elladan's breathing had sped up slightly. His lips continued to move, but they were barely parted since they were so dry.

Taking the bowl with the athelas leaves still sitting in it, he carefully dripped some into Elladan's mouth, and was rewarded by the the sight of the tip of Elladan's tongue flicking out to lick his lips.

'Come on, Elladan, it is time you woke up,' he coaxed while placing his fingers against his son's neck to feel his pulse rate. It beat strongly.

Moving his hand up to Elladan's forehead, he took in the heat of the damp skin with a frown. Even with all his careful ministrations, fever had set in, and he had very few supplies to help fight against it. He would have to get Elladan stronger so that Elladan could fight it without the help of so many herbs.

He tipped more water onto Elladan's parted lips and smiled when Elladan's eyes opened halfway.

Grimacing at the sudden light and at the pain of his wounds, Elladan hurriedly shut his eyes again. Elrond, seeing what part of the problem was, positioned himself so that he was blocking the sun. 'Wake up, Elladan. I am here... I have come for you.'

Again Elladan's eyes flew open, wide and hopeful. Now that his tongue was not so parched, he could speak. Hesitantly, he opened his mouth. 'A-adar?'

'Yes, Elladan,' Elrond whispered. 'I have come to take you home.'

Elladan's grey eyes filled brimful with crystal-like tears, but they did not spill over. Gingerly, he raised one hand and clasped Elrond's with a strength that belied his apparent inability to take care of himself for the moment. 'Imladris?'

Elrond nodded, his own eyes beginning to fill. 'Forgive me, ion nin,' he murmured. 'It was so wrong of me to send you away like that. Imladris will always be your home.'

A single tear spilled over and made its way down Elladan's cheek. 'I drove you to it,' he rasped. 'It is I who needs f-forgiveness.' At the last word, Elladan's breath left him as his emotions came crashing down and he rolled onto his uninjured side, ignoring the pain as he sobbed brokenheartedly into his arm.

Elrond, for the moment forgetting Elladan's condition, pulled his son into his lap and held him closely as he cried. His own tears were falling freely by this time, but he paid them no heed. He had found Elladan, and his son was safe, and all would be well.

Above them, Asfaloth stood protectively, keeping an eye out for any that might harm his master's charges.

At last, both Elves' tears dried and Elladan began to doze off in the comfort of his father's arms. Elrond stared off into the distance, absentmindedly running his fingers soothingly through Elladan's hair. 'Sidth, Elladan, il innas na mae.'

As more time passed, Elrond laid Elladan back down on the cloak serving as protection against the damp ground. Carefully, he unwrapped the bandages covering the young Elf's back and checked the abrasions. The athelas was doing its job well, he determined, since the infection was already losing the fight.

Again he felt Elladan's forehead. The fever, while it had gone down some, was still higher than he liked. Inwardly cursing his lack of supplies, he gathered bits of wood from under the trees and quickly built a small fire.

After rummaging around in one of the saddlebags, he pulled out a tin cup and in this he heated water. While he was waiting for the water to boil, he went up to a nearby willow tree and placed his hand against the smooth bark.

 _I have come to beg a favour of you_ , he began silently.

The tree creaked in reply. _What would you wish of me, young one?_

 _My son is ill,_ Elrond explained. _I was wondering if you would allow me some of your bark to make a healing tea?_

The tree straightened slightly. _I have been watching him since the attack,_ it groaned. _Greatly did I regret my inability to go to his assistance. Take some bark, good father, and return to your child._

 _Thank you, my friend._ Hurriedly, Elrond took his knife and cut four pieces of bark from the tree trunk. Placing his hand on his heart in Elven-fashion, he then turned and made his way down the steep embankment to Elladan and Asfaloth.

Upon returning, he saw that the water was hot and immediately he dropped a piece of the bark into the cup, holding it under with his dagger point until the wood was softened and at the point of breaking into pieces. Fishing it out, he set the cup aside to cool slightly, and instead pulled Elladan into his lap, trying to avoid pulling on his healing back and chest as much as possible. Still, Elladan was only sleeping and not unconscious, so he moaned as the pain penetrated his dreams.

'I am sorry, Elladan,' Elrond murmured, kissing his son's brow. 'I have something for you to drink. Will you wake up?'

Elladan's pain-filled eyes flickered open, and again he inspected Elrond's face, as though he were not quite sure it really was his father.

Elrond smiled at his expression, then took the cup in one hand. 'How do you feel?' he asked as he tested the temperature with his finger.

'Hurts,' Elladan gasped hoarsely.

'I am sorry,' Elrond said a second time, guilt rising up in him again, then brought the cup to Elladan's lips. 'This will help with both the pain and the fever.'

Elladan obediently drank it, still grimacing at the bitter, slightly woody taste. Suddenly he jerked his head up, spilling some of the tea over the rim and onto his father's hand. Frantically he darted his eyes around, as though he were looking for something.

'What is it, Elladan?' Elrond asked, watching as Asfaloth rose to his feet protectively.

'The wolf!' Elladan managed. 'He ran off, but he will return for me!'

'Asfaloth and I will never allow him to come near you,' Elrond consoled, knowing that Elladan probably wasn't thinking completely clearly. 'In which direction did he go in?'

Elladan nodded towards the south, never once relaxing his taut muscles. Memories flooded back to him, and he started to stutter. 'The p-patrol went af-after him, but he was s-swift. They may not g-get him, and he w-will find me!'

'Elladan,' Elrond said firmly. 'The patrol will not give up the search. They know that wolves have been tormenting the _edain_ villages, and they have been told to slay any they come across. They will not let the wolf get away.'

The young lord moaned slightly as his quick, uneven breathing caused the bandages to rub uncomfortably against his body. Fighting to calm himself down, he tried to match his breathing with his father's.

'He will not get you,' Elrond said again, patiently bringing the cup back to Elladan's lips. 'Just a little more, ion nín, and then you can rest again.'

Slowly Elladan drained the rest of the tea and Elrond set the cup down again. Elladan was again drifting off when suddenly he lurched forward and the tea was expelled again from his stomach as his father looked on in distress.

Elladan's whole body shook from the force of the fever, and his face was flushed and sweaty. His hands were cold and clammy though his forehead was hot to the touch. 'Ada...' he muttered once his head had slowed from its dizzying spin. 'I am so sorry...'

'Shh,' Elrond soothed, gathering Elladan's hair back and swiftly weaving it into a thick braid. 'Perhaps I was too hasty in giving you anything other than water. Your body needed more time to recover.'

Asfaloth was still standing guard, somehow sensing the younger Elf's fear and Elrond's current inability to serve as protector. Suddenly he let forth a warning nicker and reached down to nudge Elrond's shoulder.

'What is it, Asfaloth?' Elrond asked, glancing up from where he bent over Elladan. He glanced around until his gaze came to fall on the seven Elves standing just under the shadows of the surrounding trees. With an elated cry, he rose to his feet, mindful of the sick Elf at his feet.

The leader of the patrol, having gained the attention of Elrond, stepped forward and bowed. 'Lord Elrond, what happened?' His eyes flickered to the wolf carcasses and Elladan, then back. 'Wolves? But how? When?'

Elrond shook his head. 'It was before you arrived in this area. Elladan and I... had a disagreement and he ended up alone, facing several of the brutes. He managed to kill all of them except the leader, who ran off, hoping to draw you away from his dead companions and Elladan, who he had managed to bring down.'

The warrior paled. 'We did not see him, and we passed within sight of the dell.'

Elrond shook his head. 'It matters little.' He glanced at the position of the sun shining through the trees. 'I found him a little over a day ago. He has been badly mauled and is running quite a fever, but he is not in danger.'

The warrior stepped down the embankment, the better to see the sleeping Elf. 'Is there anything we can do? Our healing supplies are at your service, Lord Elrond.'

Elrond smiled, relieved. 'Thank you. I admit that I brought few, not expecting to find myself in such a situation. Any extras would be much appreciated.'

The captain nodded his head and beckoned to one of his companions. 'Is there anything else you might need?'

Elrond shook his head. 'I am in your debt as it is, mellon nín. Now that we have enough healing supplies, I can take him back to Imladris safely.'

The warrior nodded, then hesitated. 'At least take one of the men along to ensure your safety on the journey, I beg of you. It will be difficult to defend yourselves with just you and Captain Glorfindel's horse.'

Elrond smiled when he saw the Elf's slightly surprised expression. 'Glorfindel insisted I take Asfaloth, and I will be eternally grateful that I did. We needed all the haste we could get. And as to the idea of the warrior, that would be a wise idea. Thank you.'

Later on, it was decided that Taurnil, one of the main archers in the group, would return to Imladris with the two lords, while the rest of the group would continue on with the patrol.

Unbeknownst to Elrond and the patrol, Elladan was stirring as they spoke. He woke to find himself alone, except for the presence of a horse. 'Asfaloth?' he whispered.

The great horse bowed his head and nuzzled Elladan's chest gently.

'Was it a dream?' the Elf continued. 'Is Adar not here?' From his position, he could not see the rest of the Elves as they took care of the dead wolves, and Asfaloth's body blocked the sight of Elrond and the captain of the patrol.

Suddenly a strange sensation came over him. His head went fuzzy and his tongue began to feel thick in his mouth as his vision darkened. But right before he fell unconscious, he saw a huge creature rise up at the edge of the lip ahead of him: a great wolf.

 **TBC...**

 **Elvish Translation**

Sidth,il innas na mae – Peace, all will be well.

 **A/N:** I am really sorry for the cliffie again, but I can find no other way to end the chapter. It either has a bad ending, or it goes on forever. Anyways, I will have plenty of time to write on chapter seven this evening, so hopefully I won't take so long to post tomorrow!

This chapter is dedicated to my two reviewers, LadyLindariel and FantasyFan101 – you're the best!


	7. Setbacks

**Setbacks**

 _But right before he fell unconscious, he saw a huge creature rise up at the edge of the lip ahead of him: a great wolf._

'Adar!' he screamed, surprised at the volume of his voice.

The camp went silent at the sound of the terrified shout. Elrond spun around and found Asfaloth skittering back a few steps, as startled at the shout as the Elves had been. Finally his legs began to move and Elrond ran across the dell towards his son.

Falling to his knees beside Elladan, he saw Elladan's eyes were trained straight ahead of him, staring at the lip of the dell. Following his gaze, he saw nothing, but it was clear that Elladan was another matter completely. Fear flooded his eyes, darkening them, while his mouth moved soundlessly.

'Elladan!' he called. 'Elladan, wake up! There is nothing there!'

He turned Elladan's face towards him, but Elladan's eyes did not move. Instead he jerked his face out of Elrond's grasp and turned back to the bank. 'Adar, you promised me you would not let it come back for me!' he cried, struggling to rise.

'Elladan, no!' Elrond cried desperately. 'Wake up! The wolf is gone!'

The younger Elf paid no heed to the frantic words. Rolling over, he managed to escape from Elrond's grasp and sat up, nearly keeling over again as dizziness assaulted his head.

Nonetheless, he managed to steady himself and slowly rose to his feet, his hands held out on either side as though for balance. Tottering forward, he took three or four hesitant steps before collapsing to the ground, exhausted and completely terrified.

Elrond and the other Elves remained motionless. Two of the patrol members had, in obedience to their captain, gone to the edge of the dell, hoping that the distraught Elf would see that they were seemingly checking for any wolf that may be standing there. Elladan appeared to take no notice.

He lay writhing in the grass, reliving his nightmare, as Asfaloth pranced nervously around him, allowing no one – not even Elrond – to come near to Elladan.

'Asfaloth!' Elrond ordered at last when Asfaloth nipped at his shoulder. 'Stop that! Elladan needs help!'

The ring of command in Elrond's voice seemed to penetrate the horse's anxiety, for he slowly back away, rolling his eyes threateningly at the other Elves.

'Elladan, hear my voice!' Elrond whispered softly, hoping that a low tone would reap better results than shouting and ordering. 'You are safe. We will go home tomorrow. There is no need for this fear. Look! Have you not seen how we have extra warriors here to protect us? There is no way any creature, wolf or otherwise, could get to you. Calm down.'

Seconds passed, or it may have been moments. Finally Elladan's movements became mere twitches, only showing if Elrond moved too suddenly. Gently, Elrond unwrapped the now-bloodstained bandages and sighed at the sight of reopened wounds oozing blood. If the patrol had not come with more bandages and more potent healing herbs than athelas, he hated to think of what may have happened.

The healer in the patrol slowly came forward to offer his services. Together, he and Elrond removed the soiled bandages, cleaned and packed the abrasions, and wrapped clean linen around Elladan's torso.

As Elrond was carrying his son back to the cloak by the fire, Elladan's eyes flickered open. At first all was a grey blur but by and by his vision cleared and he could make out several shapes hurrying around him. Squinting at the forms, his eyes widened slightly as he recognised them: Elves?

He raised confused eyes to his father's face who did not appear to notice that he was awake. 'A-adar?'

Elrond glanced down at him, relieved to see his son's eyes open. 'What happened, Elladan? You gave us quite a fright!'

Elladan closed his eyes, trying to forget that which he had seen – or thought he'd seen. 'The wolf came again,' he said by way of explanation. 'I did not have my sword, and he was coming nearer.'

They reached the cloak and and Elrond tried to lay Elladan down on it, but Elladan only slipped an arm around his father's back and shook his head. 'It told me to come, Adar,' he whispered, his voice breaking. 'It said it would forever hunt me if I did not, and...'

'Do not believe such words, Elladan,' Elrond murmured. 'It was your mind playing tricks on you. You are in shock from your experience, and it is no surprise. Your imagination conjured up an image of the wolf and put the words into your mind, but it is all meaningless. Taurnil will accompany us, and it was he who shot the wolf when they tracked it through the woods. The wolf is no more.'

'Taurnil is here?' Elladan asked, his features betraying his confused emotions. Again he looked around, and saw that there were indeed several more Elves preparing for the evening. 'Did they come looking for you?'

'No,' Elrond answered. 'It is the southern patrol. They found the tracks of the wolves and followed them here. We will part from them in the morning, except for Taurnil, who will come to assist me with stubborn you!'

He bit his tongue as soon as the words left his mouth. He watched as memory of the arguments returned to Elladan, slowly causing his face to fall in despair and mortification.

'Adar, I am sorry... I am so sorry. I did not mean to overstep my boundaries.' Shame and heat radiated from his fevered body, and he resumed trembling with a vengeance.

With an effort, Elrond bit back a frustrated curse. 'The time for apologies will come later, Elladan,' he said firmly, trying to calm the Elf down somewhat at the same time. 'Both of us forgot ourselves, and we both said regrettable things to each other. Now you must concentrate on healing. The hallucination came as a result of your exhausted state and the knowledge that you were almost completely vulnerable – I was unable to guard your thoughts for you while you slept.'

Elladan took several deep breaths and managed to contain his bout of chills somewhat. 'Then stay with me,' he pleaded. 'It was huge, Adar, and its eyes were red and crazed. I could see the lust for blood in them, and it seemed to steal my will from me. I did not want to go when it called me, but somehow my legs would not obey my mind and they started moving anyways.'

'There was nothing there in the first place, Elladan,' Elrond assured him. 'You must believe me.'

Elladan nodded, his eyelids beginning to droop. 'I do,' he muttered. 'Of course I do.'

As Elladan slept, Elrond refused to move more than a few steps from his side, fearing that another nightmare or hallucination would come upon his son. Nightfall came and, excepting the six Elves who had volunteered to take watch, everyone slept soundly, walking their paths of dreams untroubled.

The next morning, everyone rose early, for Elrond was eager to be off. Elrond persuaded Elladan to try to eat part of a wafer of lembas and drink the willow bark tea he made for him. This time, Elladan managed to keep the little he ate down, though his stomach churned dangerously if he tried to move too quickly.

Camp was swiftly broken and before long, Asfaloth was cantering smoothly back towards Imladris, with Taurnil and his steed close behind. They had not been very far from the border of Imladris to begin with: only a day and a half's ride. Nonetheless, Elrond knew that the return journey would not be much shorter, since they often had to stop to make sure Elladan's wounds were not re-opening from the slight jolting of the canter.

Despite all this, they moved at an easy but steady pace, and two hours before dusk, they came upon the place where Tinnuroch lay. The wolves and the horse alike were, by this time, picked almost clean of meat, and little remained other than piles of bones. The air reeked of rotting flesh, and it was for this reason that the sleeping Elladan again retched over the side of Asfaloth.

Stopping slightly uphill from the unpleasant scene, Elrond and Taurnil took care of Elladan while Asfaloth made use of the stream a ways away to clean himself off.

Elladan woke with a start as Taurnil ran a dampened cloth gently over the wounded Elf's face, removing the last of the contents of Elladan's stomach as well as the sweat that now lay in a light sheen over his face.

Gagging slightly at the sour taste in his mouth, he winced as the cloth brushed over his healing temple. 'Ai!' he exclaimed weakly. He glanced at Elrond, who was kneeling down beside him with a cup of water. 'I am sorry, Adar. I have been nothing but a burden ever since you found me.'

'Nonsense,' Elrond countered, tipping some of the cool liquid into Elladan's mouth. 'You are badly injured, in constant pain and no doubt you are confused. Luck has not been kind to you, and you are quite entitled to a rest before we move on.

Elladan shook his head, sending spasms of pain shooting his whole body. 'You do not understand,' he said urgently, struggling weakly to rise to his feet. 'Elrohir! You _know_ , Adar.'

Elrond sighed, rubbing at his forehead. He did indeed know, since he himself had had the feeling several times after a particularly violent quarrel with Elros. 'Aye, I know,' he finally conceded. 'Elrohir is doing well, and he would be much happier if we took our time returning home than if we hurried and you were further injured in our haste.'

Elladan sank slowly down to the ground again, realising the wisdom behind his father's words. 'Truly, Adar, here is no need for us to tarry here,' he begged. 'At the least, let us continue on slowly. This place has an evil feel to it, and I will not get any rest here.'

Elrond glanced at Taurnil, who shrugged his shoulders. 'I will follow where you go, when you go,' he said impassively. 'But if you would have my thoughts, I would advise you to listen to your son. He senses evil – perhaps from an unwelcome memory – and what he says is true: he can come to little harm if we travel at a gentle pace.'

Elrond looked from Elladan to Taurnil and back, then nodded his head briskly. 'Very well; we shall leave now.' He held up his hand when Elladan opened his mouth. 'There is one condition: if you feel any more discomfort than is necessary, then you will tell me at once. Understood?'

Elladan nodded.

'Then let us be off.'

 **A/N:** I'm not sure: does this count as a cliffhanger? Please read and review!


	8. Home

**Home**

As it turned out, they only rode for another couple hours, since Elladan was obviously exhausted. They had passed the borders of Imladris a while before, so Elrond knew that they were relatively safe, but he he insisted that they stopped before dark fell upon them.

Nonetheless, Elrond and Taurnil decided it would be prudent to set take turns keeping guard, for they were quite close to the borders and they wished to take no risks.

As Elrond sat by the small fire, gazing into space, his thoughts turned to Elladan.

His son was healing well: the infections in his wounds had been stopped and now they were slowly closing. It was still painful for him to move, and he could barely lift his left arm because of the deep bite on his shoulder. He could stand for short periods of time, too, now that the two leg wounds had mended.

Still, he had been in deep shock when his father arrived, and the terrifying hallucination had left its mark. Nightmares often haunted his dreams, and the traumatized Elf would wake up screaming if he could not sense the presences of his father or Taurnil nearby.

The night passed uneventfully and they continued on after a quick meal of lembas and spring water. This time Elladan managed to eat more of the lembas without having nausea attack him. Elrond expected that they would arrive at Imladris within five hours, perhaps earlier if Elladan continued to take the journey well.

Elladan fell asleep soon after they broke up camp, the knowledge that he was almost home coupled with the soothing movements of Asfaloth lulling him into the paths of dreams. This time, however, his sleep was not tormented by wolves or the death of his beloved horse, but instead visions of the green meadows, the sparkling waterfalls, and the dark eyes of Elrohir ran through his mind.

He jerked awake. Elrohir! How could he have forgotten the violent fight they had gotten into? That was part of the reason, after all, that his father had banished him!

'Elladan?'

Only then did he notice that Elrond had slowed Asfaloth to a stop and now both his father and his friend were looking at him in worry.

Elladan found that his stomach was turning almost unbearably as nervous anticipation ran through his body. 'I... I am fine.'

Elrond ignored the statement. 'Are you in pain?'

Elladan shook his head wordlessly. He glanced down at his hands. 'I just want to get home.'

His father raised an eyebrow. 'The condition agreed upon yesterday evening still applies,' he reminded Elladan, who nodded. He studied his son, who was picking at his fingernails, a sure sign of nervousness. 'Is it Elrohir?'

Elladan nodded miserably. 'He is sure to be furious with me,' he said in a low voice. 'We parted in anger.'

Elrond smiled. 'It was he who made me come after you instead of sending Glorfindel,' he announced. 'He was very worried about you, and desired to find you himself.'

'Then is he not as badly hurt as I had supposed?' Elladan asked hopefully.

'He is not seriously injured,' his father answered, nudging Asfaloth with his heels to continue the journey. 'But I insisted that he remain behind to make sure he does not further aggravate his ribs.'

'He did not aggravate them in the first place,' Elladan muttered belligerently. ' I did.'

Elrond and Taurnil laughed. It was obvious that Elladan was recovering if he could again grumble. Taurnil drew up beside Asfaloth.

'Have it your way,' he replied laughingly. 'But I wager you this clip—' he pulled his braid around to display a silver hair clip '—that Elrohir will hold little against you.'

Elladan studied the hair ornament closely, then glanced at his hair. It would look nice against the raven-coloured strands, he decided. Wincing, he pulled his braid over his shoulder, but frowned when he saw there was no clip in it. Again showing his returning humour, he answered his friend. 'Very well. I will wager Adar's hair clip that Elrohir _will_ be miffed.'

Elrond chuckled, then – keeping one arm securely around Elladan's waist – he reached back with the other and opened the ornate clip holding his braids together. Untangling it from his own hair, he replaced it in Elladan's. 'The clip is yours. Wager away your own belongings if you wish, ion nín, but try not to do away with mine.'

The travellers stopped once when Elladan complained that his back was throbbing more than usual. Even when Elrond coated the wounds with a paste made of athelas and a vial of liquid, he complained that the mixture only made the abrasions sting. With no other supplies, Elrond offered him a dose of painkiller, which was willingly received.

It was too late when Elladan realised that the painkiller was obviously combined with some other substance, for his eyelids began to droop almost as soon as they had continued on their way. Grumbling more at himself – for not expecting such a move – than at his father, he allowed himself to give in to the alluring effects of the drugs and fell into a blissfully peaceful sleep.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Imladris, Elrohir was walking slowly down the hall towards the healing wing. Calamë had given him permission that morning to rise from his bed, but the healer had told him strictly that he was to report back in the early afternoon so Calamë could make sure he was all right.

Arriving at the healers' domain, Elrohir went in search of Calamë and found him bandaging the hand of a young novice warrior who had had an unfortunate accident during training. After Calamë was finished with the warrior, he beckoned Elrohir to sit on the table.

'Is there any pain?' he asked as he assisted Elrohir in removing his tunic.

'A little, but that is to be expected,' Elrohir answered, anxious that he would be confined to bed again. 'The pain medication is allowing me to breathe fine.'

Calamë raised his eyebrows, then turned to the ribs. Prodding at them gently, he found that the broken one had not shifted, and that the fractures were mending nicely. 'Does it hurt when I touch them?' he asked suddenly.

'As I said, I can feel it, but it cannot be classed as 'discomfort.' Are you going to send me back to bed?' Elrohir blushed when he realised how petulant he sounded. 'I mean, are they all right?'

'They are fine,' the healer decided. 'No swords, no bows, no lifting anything heavy until I or your father say you may. Do I make myself clear?'

Elrohir nodded vigorously, stopping when both his ribs and Calamë protested. 'Yes, healer.'

'Very well. Get along.' Calamë immediately turned and busied himself with a pestle, grinding up dried herbs and roots.

Elrohir, who had had damaged ribs before, already knew that there was little one could do while recovering from such injuries. His day was usually made up of attending councils, weapons training, and riding. Unfortunately for him, council-attending was out - he would not do it even if he had a chance, of course - as were weapons training and riding.

Finally he wandered into his room and picked up his flute from where it lay on a shelf. A moment later the instrument found itself abandoned again, its master being unwilling to endure the pain it called upon to play it. 'I can barely lift it high enough without the pain distracting me from it, but then I find that the amount of breath I need to play it is not to be found!' he muttered to himself. There was no point in trying to use Elladan's harp - he hated playing it, anyways. And his violin had long since disappeared - where, he knew not.

Half an hour later, he found himself in the library, browsing among the shelves filling the room. After a while, he moved to a chair by a window through which daylight was streaming, and settled down with a book on the constellations.

Even with the comfortable chair and the half-full glass of miruvor Erestor had placed at his elbow, the young Elf found himself unable to concentrate. He knew exactly why, but if truth be told, he did not want to concede to this knowledge. He could tell that Elladan was living and more or less well, for their bond had not been closed off. Even so, the bond was a constant reminder that there was no other way that he could currently connect with his twin. He was heartily ashamed of the way he had acted towards his brother, and he was terribly anxious that Elladan had not changed his mind about him, that he would still think of his as their adar's pet.

In frustration, he tossed the book onto the table, downed the miruvor, and left the library. Returning to his bedchamber, he cautiously laid himself down and occupied himself by tracing the intricately-carved beams holding up the ceiling of his room. Before long, the hundreds of curving lines became mesmerizing and Elrohir had to close his eyes momentarily to stop them from crossing.

Once they were closed, he realised how tired he was, and how nice it was not to have to be looking at things around him. Re-opening them for an instant, he let them glaze over as he sank into sleep.

* * *

Once Elladan was asleep, Elrond sped their pace up a little. They were only an hour from the house and the paths they took were pock-marked with hoof-marks, showing how close they were to the main path. It was a little past noon at the time, and Elrond was eager to get Elladan into bed and see how Elrohir was faring.

Elladan was sleeping soundly, for Elrond had made sure to administer a strong enough dose that he would stay asleep, only to wake and find himself in his own bed. Of course, now Elrond was supporting Elladan's full weight, and his arms were beginning to protest.

Carefully shifting Elladan to lean more against his chest than his arms, he massaged his right forearm to wake it up, biting his lip as sharp tingles ran up and down his arm. He repeated the procedure with his left arm, before reining in beside one of the many waterfalls.

'We should rest here, Taurnil,' he announced to his companion. 'The horses are tiring, and I, for one, am thirsty.'

Taurnil dismounted first, then took Elladan from his lord and gently laid the sleeping Elf on the soft grass by the bank of the river. Elladan did not stir, even when Elrond tipped some water into his slightly parted lips. The mist rising from the waterfall gently caressed his face, dampening his hair and slowly removing the grime from the day's journey.

Finally they were within sight of the house. Elves walked up and down the path, stopping to greet the lord of Imladris and ask with concern after Elladan. Elrond replied to these queries politely, never letting slip an irritated word or glance, for he was gratified to see how much his people cared for his family.

As they drew up to the courtyard, Glorfindel stepped out onto the cobblestones and immediately took hold of Asfaloth's bridle, kissing the steed's nose and murmuring his thanks.

As Taurnil waited to bring both horses to the stables, Glorfindel took Elladan while Elrond dismounted and both Elven lords made their way hurriedly into the house. In the entryway, they were met by Elrohir who was calling back a response to Calamë who was standing sternly at the end of the hallway.

'Adar!' he cried when they met up. He stared at Elladan's still form in Glorfindel's arms, aghast. 'How is he? What happened?'

'Calm yourself, Elrohir,' Elrond chided, gently pushing Elrohir to one side so as to let Glorfindel by. 'I will tell you on the way to the healing ward.'

Calamë, hearing the words, turned instantly and made his way swiftly towards the aforementioned area, meaning to prepare it for a new patient.

On the way through the twisting passageways, Elrond explained the happenings of the past two and a half days briefly. By the time he reached the end of the story, they had arrived at the private healing room and Glorfindel was now laying Elladan down on the nearest bed.

Elrohir was shocked into silence. He was not angry at either his father or his brother anymore; Glorfindel had made him see that neither of them were thinking clearly when Elladan had been banished. The sight of his brother swathed in bandages, concealing what he knew were horrific and painful injuries was almost too much for him.

'Will he be all right?' he finally asked.

'Of course,' Elrond said reassuringly. 'The cuts are healing quite well, and the infections that had set in have been overcome. He just needs rest, and before you know it, you two will be terrorizing Imladris again.'

Elrohir gave a weak smile before leaning over Elladan again. 'Well,' he said, heaving a sigh, whether of relief or anxiety, Elrond and Glorfindel could not tell. 'At least he's home.'

 **A/N:** One more chapter to go! I am so glad people have been enjoying this so far! As always, please tell me what you think, even if its just with one word! Also, I apologise for any mistakes that may be found - my beta-sister could not find the (ahem) strength to remove herself from her bed.;)


	9. All's Well That Ends Well

**All's Well That Ends Well**

Hours passed and yet Elladan remained deep in his drugged sleep. Elrohir refused to leave his side, and Elrond did not have the heart to argue much. It was hours after sundown when he finally began to stir.

Elrohir was standing at the window, fiddling with the curtain when he saw a slight movement from the bed. Flying across the dimly-lit room, the younger twin sat down on the edge of the bed and grasped his brother's warm hand in his own.

'El, wake up!' he called softly.

Elladan moaned slightly, but did not open his eyes.

'Elladan, it is I, Elrohir,' Elrohir continued. He glanced at his half-finished dinner. 'I have some bread for you, if you wish.'

Slowly Elladan's registered Elrohir's voice and his brow creased in confusion. 'Ro?' he croaked.

Elrohir grinned. 'Yes, dimwit. Wake up!'

Elladan's eyes flew open and landed immediately on Elrohir. 'Ro!' he repeated, clearer this time. 'I am home!'

Elrohir nodded, ending his smile in a grimace of pain when his ribs reminded him of their poor state. 'You got here a while after an hour past noon, and you have been sleeping ever since. It is time you came back to your senses.'

Elladan frowned. 'Bother my senses,' he retorted. He had not missed Elrohir's pained expression. 'I hurt your ribs, did I not?'

Elrohir refrained from shrugging; instead he settled for a rather vague gesture with his hands. 'They are healing,' he said by way of explanation. 'They do not hurt much, unless I forget about them.'

Elladan shook his head, grateful that the action did not bring about the customary dizziness and nausea. 'Were any of them broken?'

Elrohir rolled his eyes, exasperated. 'One. Elladan, I am fine. Remember that I've had four broken ribs at the same time before. I barely feel this one compared to those ones. I ought to be the one asking all the questions. Are _you_ all right?'

His brother snorted. 'Except for the fact that I have to lie on my side because my back and chest are covered in claw-marks, and I have a deep bite in my shoulder, and two less serious ones in my leg, I am just dandy.'

Elrohir looked on solemnly. 'You forgot the lingering bruise on your temple and the scabs on your cheek,' he supplied helpfully. 'But I suppose your sarcastic answer to my innocent question means this: you are tired and in pain, and you want nothing more than to be left alone by your pesky _younger_ brother. Am I right or am I right?'

'How well you read me,' Elladan threw back at him, then became serious. 'Ro, it felt so wrong,' he confided. 'I was fighting by myself. I had to watch my own back, with the help of only a tree, not a twin. And when the wolf finally left to draw the southern patrol away from me, I had no one to help me. I do not know how long I lay there, alone and afraid, until I woke up to find Adar and Asfaloth there.'

Elrohir listened in silence. He could not imagine what Elladan had been through. Elrond had, of course, given him the basics of what had happened, but he wanted to hear it from Elladan's own lips. 'You do not have to talk about it now if you do not wish to,' he finally said, not wanting to distress his brother further. 'Maybe it would be wise if you concentrated on healing instead of telling the story.'

Elladan shook his head as well as he could. 'I thought no one would come. I had hurt you, and Adar was so furious he banished me. I was certain that neither of you would look for me, that you hated me.' He paused to catch his breath as well as to attempt to swallow the growing lump in his throat. 'When Adar did come, I thought I was dreaming.'

Elrohir bowed his head to hide his tears. 'I am sorry, Elladan. I did not mean to anger you by coming to you that day after you and Adar... had words. I now know that my words, though meant well, merely hurt you more. Forgive me, brother.'

'No... no, you do not understand!' Elladan cried in desperation. 'I had no right to speak to either of you the way I did, and yet I could not stop myself! I injured you, I could have killed you! What if more ribs had broken and punctured your lung or something? I would never forgive myself – as it is, I will never forget what I have caused.'

Elrohir's expression turned fierce. 'You should not dwell on what _might_ have happened, Elladan. What is important is that what _might_ have happened did not happen. You were badly mauled by wolves, and you still live. There are no infections, you are here at home again, and we are together again. What else matters?'

Elladan shook his head again. 'You are correct, as always. Nothing else matters. Nonetheless, I am sorry for arguing with you, for injuring you, and for being–'

'A dimwit?'

'–And for being a warg in general,' Elladan finished, grinning wryly at his brother's interruption.

Elrohir bowed. 'Apology accepted,' he acknowledged, rising to his feet. 'Adar asked me to fetch him when you woke up, and here you look like you could fall asleep again. Hold on while I get him.'

Elladan grabbed his hand. 'El?'

'Yes?'

'Great minds think alike, yes?'

Elrohir narrowed his eyes. 'Correct...'

'And ours are great minds, am I right?'

Elrohir tossed his head in a less than humble way. 'Of course.'

'Which means that our minds are alike?'

'What are you getting at?' Elrohir asked suspiciously. He glanced towards the door. 'Adar will be angry if he finds out that I have not gotten him yet. Just let me go.'

'Does that means our minds are alike?'

Elrohir threw back his head in exasperation. 'Yesthatmeansourmindsarealike!'

'Even if I am a dimwit?'

'Yes!' Elrohir answered, not thinking.

Elladan smiled triumphantly and let go of his brother's hand. 'Then you are a dimwit too, brother!'

Elrohir stopped halfway to the door and silently went over the exchange. 'Only a dimwit would come up with that kind of logic,' he finally said, continuing to the door. 'Do not forget to stay awake!'

Were it not for his injuries, Elrohir would have happily run through the halls towards his father's study. His heart was light and the bantering had proven to him that Elladan was truly mending. He reflected as he entered the hallway with Elrond's study. Would this incident serve to put an end to the quarrels between his father and brother, or would the matter of Dol Guldur continue to create a rift? Every Peredhil was stubborn – even a dimwit knew that – and because of this, neither party would likely back down easily. But perhaps – hopefully – this event had been enough to cause both to come to an agreement.

While he had been thinking, he had reached the study door. Before he could raise his hand to knock, the door opened and Elrohir nearly walked right into his father.

'Deep in thought, Elrohir?' Elrond asked as he stepped hastily to the side.

His son jumped. 'Pardon me, Adar. El has woken.'

'Has he now?' Elrond asked as Elrohir fell into step beside him. He stole a glance out of the corner of his eye at the younger Elf. 'How long ago?'

Elrohir blushed slightly. 'Fifteen or twenty minutes, I suppose. I tried to leave sooner, but he insisted on proving to me that we are both dimwits.'

Elrond laughed. 'How did he go about that?'

Elrohir waved his hand around in the air. 'He just pulled out his Elladan-logic. The 'we-are-the-same-so-if-I-am-a-dimwit-then-so-are-you' kind.' The grin disappeared from his face when he recalled the rest of their conversation. 'He thinks he is to blame for everything, Adar.'

Elrond nodded, his enthusiasm also dimming. 'I know. I have been trying to convince him ever since he first woke, but he will not accept it.' Not willing to allow the good spirits he and his sons had been in be completely doused, he smiled and placed an arm around Elrohir's shoulders, pulling the younger Elf closer to him. 'Perhaps the stubborn Elf simply feels that we are not able enough to take our own shares of the guilt. We shall resolve this issue somehow or other, Elrohir. Do not worry yourself over it.'

Elladan was barely awake when they arrived at his room. He gave a tired smile when the door opened, but did not say anything.

'Elladan, how do you feel?' Elrond asked once he reached the bed. He placed his hand on Elladan's forehead and nodded, relieved. 'Your fever is very low. If you let yourself rest, then it should be gone within twenty-four hours.'

The older twin nodded shakily. He found that he did not know what to say in the presence of his father, now that he was home. Guilt had again risen inside of him, and it left him feeling as though he were drowning in his own pride and arrogance. Slowly he began to lose himself to the memories of the past few days: arguments with both Elrond and Elrohir, his violent fight with his brother, his subsequent banishment and the death of his horse, Tinnuroch.

'El!'

He found himself back in the present when he felt the bed dip as Elrohir knelt down beside him on the mattress, opposite Elrond. 'What?' he griped, not even trying to look over his shoulder at his twin. 'Stop bouncing the bed.'

Elrohir rolled his eyes, resisting the urge to respond sharply: Elladan could be very trying when he was in this mood, barking at anyone for the slightest thing. Instead, he settled for giving a quiet sigh which he knew would be just as clear as any remark.

'Elladan, are you in pain?' Elrond asked a second time.

Elladan raised his eyes towards his father's face and nodded slightly. 'My back hurts, and I have a headache.'

'I will get you something for the headache in a moment,' his father replied. 'How long has your back been hurting?'

'Since I woke up, I think,' Elladan answered, squinting slightly as he tried to remember. 'It is getting worse, though.'

Elrond now observed that Elladan was trembling uncontrollably. He placed a hand on Elladan's shoulder, careful of the wound there, and moved it down the length of his arm. He could feel the muscles, hard and taut beneath his hand. 'You have chills,' he said. 'I expect that the constant shivering is causing you to tense up and it puts a strain on your back. If you relax, it will not only relieve the pain, but it will also fight the chills more productively than tensing.'

Elladan did as he was told while Elrond left the room for a moment to prepare a tea for Elladan's headache.

By the time the tea was finished, Elladan felt more awake and talkative. He was mostly over his temporary unease around Elrond, and answered his father's anxious questions willingly.

They spoke until Glorfindel came to the door and asked Elrohir to assist him in his study with the next month's patrol rosters. 'You have always been good at organizing,' he said as Elrohir rose from where he still knelt on the bed. 'I would usually ask Elladan, but he seems rather indisposed.'

Elladan scowled at him, but Glorfindel's smile was infectious and before long the scowl turned into a subdued grin.

'How are you, Elfling?' Glorfindel asked, striding over to the bed for a moment.

'Rather sore, but other than that, not too badly,' Elladan answered. 'It could be worse.'

Glorfindel nodded. 'Now if Elrohir gets caught under a wolf, all four of us will have found out what fun it can be.'

Two sets of eyes turned simultaneously to Elrond. 'You got mauled?' Elrohir asked, gaping.

'Years ago,' their father answered. 'It is a tale for another time, though I am not sure how much of a tale it will be: I barely remember it.'

Once Glorfindel and Elrohir were gone, Elladan sucked his lower lip in. He knew what was coming, for he doubted that it was a coincidence that Glorfindel had come to take Elrohir away. Stealing a glance at his father, he saw that Elrond was leaning back in the chair by the bed, observing him out of his sharp grey eyes.

Unable to squirm without causing himself unwanted pain, Elladan settled for quickly averting his own eyes.

To Elladan's relief, Elrond decided to start the conversation instead of waiting for him to say something.

'Elladan.'

Slowly he met Elrond's gaze again. 'Yes, sir?'

'I am sorry for all the ill that has transpired between the two of us in the past fortnight. I meant little – perhaps nothing – of what I said. In anger, we may say much that we would never say otherwise.'

Elladan opened his mouth, but Elrond stopped him.

'I am not making excuses for my behaviour,' he continued on. 'I simply wish you to realise how much I regret my words and actions. For the rest of my life, I shall never forget how I banished my own son from his home.'

'Adar, I...' Elladan began thickly, his voice catching in his throat. 'It was not all your fault. I should have accepted your decisions instead of constantly questioning them. Even if you did not mean what you said, it does not change the fact that I did not deserve it.'

'But it does,' Elrond cut in. 'As I said, in anger we say that which we would not say at any other time. You were angry, at times even beyond angry. I doubt that you meant what you said, either. Is that right?'

Slowly Elladan nodded.

'Is that right, Elladan?' Elrond pressed.

'Yes, sir,' Elladan muttered.

'Therefore, all things considered, you said nothing that made you deserve any of what I said, for none of our words were truly meant for the other. Do you follow me?'

Elladan hesitated, thinking over his father's words. 'I think so, sir.'

Elrond smiled in relief. 'Then shall we put this behind us?'

Elladan nodded vigorously, causing his father to laugh. 'Yes, Adar.'

Elrond bent down and kissed Elladan's temple. 'I love you, Elladan,' he murmured. 'Nothing shall ever change that, not if every argument imaginable forces its way in between us.'

'I likewise, Adar,' Elladan replied. 'Thank you.'

'Whatever for?'

'For coming after me,' his son whispered. 'And for taking me home. And for forgiving me.

 **The End**

 **A/N:** Yaaaaaaaaaaay! I finally finished it! I am so glad that people enjoyed this, and I wish to say thank you to each and every person who read, reviewed, favourited it and/or followed it! I also want to give a special thank you to LadyLindariel, who challenged me to write this in the first place, and who reminded me to post whenever I (ahem) forgot to do so.


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